In the Darkness
by BattyFerret
Summary: A young otter decides to become a wanderer and is told by Martin to go on a quest to find a few vermin, who are supposed to help Mossflower in one way or another. The otter and the vermin he's searching for aren't given much information on what's going to
1. Prologue: The Dream

_ The rats, stoats and weasels played with the ball, along with a handful of otters, foxes, hedgehogs, ferrets, mice, voles and squirrels. Suddenly, the ball flew high into the air, the many mammals stared in amazement as it soared through the air. It then landed with a crash into the cores of apples that had been gathered into a pile, along with various other fruit. Flies buzzed around the rotten food as the young creatures looked on in dismay._

_"I'll give anybeast who gets it a bronze coin!" cried a squirrel, large grin on his youthful features._

_"I'll get it." said one of the young rats, looking at the pile with a grim smile. He then darted off to grab it._

_"GO DESKEL!" hollered another rat, smaller in size then his brother._

_Deskel finally returned, grinning triumphantly._

_As the squirrel fished through his pockets for a bronze coin, one of the stoats noted a large group of woodlanders heading towards the village._

_"Reeeedwaaalll!"_

_"Siiilveeerstreeeeam!"_

_"What's that?" questioned a hedgehog._

_"Redwall. That's a peaceful group!" cried one stoat, recognising the name, "I'm going to go see them, I've read a lot about them!" he finished absolutely giddy. He then did exactly what he said- he started to run over to where they were._

_An older stoat who bore a resemblance to the younger one, and was obviously is brother, looked over to Fievly, a rat, "Think I should go with him?"_

_"Eh, you decide. Don't worry, they're just a bunch of woodlanders, Sprague." the tall rat said with a shrug._

_The older stoat watched as the younger was cut down by an otter, the otter did so with a bit of regret in his eyes. Of course, it was only a bit._

_The young, vermin and woodlander alike, shrieked and dashed away, except for a seldom few who could only stare in horror as the life they knew was wiped out._

_---_

_The whole background of the scene was white. As white as an ermine in the northlands wearing a white tunic in a snowstorm... It was a bit odd really._

_"Redwall made a mistake." said Martin, watching to see the reaction on the young otter's face._

_"Obv'ously." grumbled the otter bitterly, eyes wide and yet his brow was furrowed, "So the warriors who lef' two days 'go...?" he let the question hang in then air._

_"I'm afraid so." answered the mouse warrior, it looked as if it pained him to utter any words on the subject, "Sliver, you won't remember this until the time you need to. Then you must search out the young ones that were there that day."_

_"They're still 'live?"_

_There was a moment of silence, "Not all of them. Some of them are, yes..."_

_"Wouldn't all o' the woodlanders 'ave been saved?"_

_"Would you spare traitors?"_

_"They considered 'em traitors?"_

_"Aye.You'll know when the time comes."_

_"That soun's somewhat familiar."_

_"I think I've said it before."_

_Sliver allowed himself a thin smile as the mouse warrior began to fade away, fading white as the white background of the dream._

_--------------------_

Sliver liked remembering all dreams he'd had. Thus, he tried to remember the one he had just had. He couldn't; no matter how hard he tried. The young otter shrugged and got out of bed; it wasn't uncommon to forget a dream.

A/N: The otter accent in the prologue is badly done in this prologue and I can't make it any better, unless you wish to point out some places where the speech could be fixed. I _would _fix it and thank you. The otter speech is better in chapter two. I promise.


	2. Chapter One: Scribbles On Letters

The stoat's unintelligible handwriting was studied in dismay by his friend, Deskel. The crickets were chirping, though it wasn't night yet. It was, in fact, late in the afternoon.

"No, no, Scribbles." the rat allowed himself a smirk at the stoat's name. "Your note can't be sent to Selried."

"Why not?" questioned the stoat, confusion clouding his features.

"Look, Scribbly... Can you read your own writing?"

"I found a 'c'!" exclaimed Scribbles with a proud grin, "I'm getting better."

Deskel sighed loudly, "Scribbly... It's a threatening message. Selried has to be able to read it." he growled, utterly frustrated.

"Well... I'll- I'll rewrite it." sighed Scribbles.

"Aye, Scribbles."he said, looking off into the darkness he frowned, "How'd we even get into this horde? How did we do that, again?"

"I don't know. Never saw the point in looking back to that day." he spoke, more then half of his concentration focused on the piece of parchment before him and the quill in his paw. "The past is the past." he said, suddenly looking up from his letter, as if that would solve any problem Deskel had with the past. Then he continued slowly rewriting the letter.

"Is that letter ready yet?" questioned a stoat, approaching with rapidity.

"One moment." murmured Scribbles, studying the letters on the parchment for a moment and continuing his slow progress.

The other stoat watched anxiously, tapping his footpaw impatiently.

"Hello, Sprague." the rat greeted the stoat.

The thinner stoat ignored the rat, peering intently over Scribble's shoulder, "Hurry... Hurry..." he murmured until it steadily became a chant.

"Here." said Scribbles, holding up the piece of parchment.

Sprague snatched it from the other stoat and sprinted off.

"He has to make it to Selried's before sunset." said Scribbles absentmindedly, watching the stoat who was steadily becoming smaller in the distance..

"Think he'll make it before the Darkdeath's begin watching the area?" asked Deskel, giving a glance to Sprague.

"Nuh-uh." said Scribbles, with a shake of his head.

"So he'll end up running for his life?"

"More then likely, I suppose."

The activity in Daezil's horde continued, mostly unaware of any outgoing messages. The few who knew didn't care that much... Sprague was fast.


	3. Chapter Two: An Otter Leaves An Abbey

"Beautiful sunset." commented Sliver lightly.

"Yup." agreed the otter beside him, also gazing out the window.

"Th' end o' a long, rather uneventful day." spat the brawny otter in distaste, the sudden change in mood surprising his friend.

She gave a weak smile, "It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"I dunno, Slim. Lately things are growin' too dull. Life here's growin' repetitive. It's the same every day... Wake up, do somethin' or another involvin' work, eat, 'ave a feast... I jus' can't stand it no more." muttered Sliver.

The young female nodded, "Aye." she said, slightly hesitant.

"Well..." he searched for an answer to his problem, "I'm leavin'. That's that. How 'bout you?"

The sudden question startled the ottermaid, "I dunno..." she said, a faraway look on her face. She was thinking, Slimclaw thought more then he did.

"C'mon! It'll be great, aye. You can see things you've never seen before. Hear sounds, smell scents... Slim, you can't stay in this abbey _forever_." he waved his paws enthusiasticly as he spoke, grinning from ear-to-ear. He just knew she would come with him, he could always convince her.

"I can't, Slivvy... I have a family here. Friends, you're not m' only matey, y'know?" she said weakly, "I gotta stay here. I'm not goin' t'change m' mind... I- I like it here." she finished.

The male otter had a large frown his face as he gazed sadly at the female otter, "Well... Enjoy yer... yer time at the abbey... _Forever_... C'mon, Slim," he started, turning his frown upside-down in one second, "Yer foolin' with me, arentcha? Yer comin', right? We're mateys, the best mateys y'could ever fin' on land or inna water! Y'gotta be kiddin', pullin' m'tail, playin' a prank..."

"No." said Slimclaw with a shake of her head, "I'm not goin', Slivvy. M'family needs me... **_Redwall_** needs me! An' I'm not changin' m'mind."

The brawny male otter sighed and shook his head slowly, "Fine, Slim... I-I won't try t'convince ye anymore." he lied. He would try too. Early in the morning, when she was tired and basically unable to hear anything he was saying through her sleepiness. He would agree with her for the present, "I see... Fine, Slim," he sniffed, "You dun' 'ave too... Jus'... Jus' dun' tell anybeast 'm goin', aye?"

"Aye." said Slimclaw with the weak smile she had worn through a good percent of the conversation, "That's a promise I can keep." They had always promised they would go adventuring together, since they were small dibbuns being chased by the badgermother, Melodi... She had broken that promise, "Of course, they'll eventally find out."

"Naturally." said Sliver with an ear-to-ear grin, "'m leavin' termorrow. If y'change yer mind..."

"Aye. Kitchens." said Slimclaw, remembering the old, often talked about plan they had for wandering off, "I'll go if I change m'mind."

Sliver nodded, "Think 'bout it..." he said, then began to leave, "I'm goin' t'bed early t'night."

Sliver walked down to his room, the door opening with a creak and shutting with a thud. It was just like any average day. The otter felt that everything should've been different, but it wasn't. He sighed and landed with a thud on his nice bed. There was no noise after the creak of the bed, and he slowly drifted to sleep. He had a dream, of course, he had a dream every night. This one was different.

_"Hello." said Martin, smiling thinly at Sliver, "You're finally leaving? No, don't answer that- it's rhetorical." he paused a moment, "Do you recall our last meeting?"_

_"Meetin'? Oh. Aye, aye..."_

_"Good. You must find a few of the vermin and two of the woodlanders from that day."_

_"How c'n somebeast be from a day?"_

_"You know... The memory..." insisted Martin._

_"Yeah, I know whatcha meant. It's jus' somethin' for me t'think 'bout."_

_"Yes, yes.You have to find them; it's something about destiny, hordes and them. Don't ask me any questions about it, I probably won't know. It has to unfold." he paused a moment, "There might be some things I'll tell you later on."_

_"Y'know, a list o' names would 'elp me fin' 'em." said Sliver, grinning. This was nice, an adventure all nice and ready for him. Now he wouldn't have to search for one._

_"Right. Deskel and Lekdes- they're rats. Brothers. Scribbles- he's a stoat. Wexler and Bickler are two weasel brothers... Sprague, he's another stoat. Dafer is a brown-furred squirrel... I almost forgot these last three... Um, Fievly, a rat... Reedle, a vole... Lastly is Skelf; he's a ferret."_

_"Aye." said Sliver, storing it in his mind until he had a piece of parchment to write it on to._

_"Bye." said Martin, fading away like last time._

_"Good-"_

_---------------_

Sliver woke up, and, it was indeed the morning. He scrambled over to Slimclaw's room, stumbling as he finally managed to reach her door. He then rapped it lightly, "Hello?"

A sleepy-looking otter opened the door, "Hurr?"

Sliver entered the room and snatched up a piece of parchment Slimclaw owned and her favourite quill, "Mind if I keep this piece o' parchement, Slim? No? Yer a real matey, you are. Hey, Slim, c'mon, we're leavin'." he let a grin come onto his face, "'Member y'promised ye'd come."

"'m not stupid, Slivvy. 'Twas when we was dibbuns. G'night." she said and flopped onto her bed.

Sliver frowned and finally gave up, when he was a hero she would go with him adventuring. "Slim, tell everybeast 'm on a quest fer Martin."

"Huh?"

"Ferget it." he said, and then headed down to the kitchens where he had pilfered many a pasty, pinched many a pudding, stolen slurps of stew. He used as sack to hold the items until he could get a pack. Thus, Sliver started his adventure.


End file.
